As ever, it's been a while since I last posted an update as life has a habit of getting in the way and making things complicated. Since our last meeting, I've moved house, got a dog and changed my job position (within the same company), although this requres me to be out on the road much more often.

The good news however, is that we're finally back chatting to incredible people about Beer and Art. This time, we're back overseas to Barcelona, having some brief but inciteful words with Sevkan Ariburnu, graphic designer for Garage Beer Co. Bold, understated and always eye catching, Sevkan uses simple themes or repeat patterns to showcase the weird and wonderful in her designs. Fried eggs, raw meat, moths, dismembered hands, rubber duckies? Nothing is safe.

Her answers are succinct and to the point, but give powerful insight into her creativity. Check out her labels for Garage below, and a link to Twitter.​Can you tell us a little about yourself? Where did you get started with graphic design/art?As a teenager I started keeping visual diaries as a way to self-soothe. That's how I got into visual design.

How would you describe your artistic style?Bold & unorthodox

Do you feel like the artwork on a beer label is just as important as the beer inside? No, although the label artwork is crucial, the beer inside the can is the most important thing.

A lot of artists/designers say they suffer from a creative block, do you have any methods you use to overcome this?My dreams at night somehow always helped me overcome these blocks.

How do you feel Art and Beer are related? Both are forms of escape.

Barcelona seems like a fantastic city for both beer and art, how do you find this? it definitely is, there's always something going on that's design or drinks related.

What process do you go through when creating a new design?II work with moodboards a lot. Most of the time I start with a concept/theme in mind.

Raw meat on a beer label? How did that come about? It was a september release, and i wanted open the season in a bold way. the beer was perfect for this as well.

What memorable responses have you had to your work? i can't recall a specific one but i do love how people play with the cans on social media.

I literally cannot stop looking through Paul's work. Each glance reveals new details which builds into what can only be described as a story, building the character of Yellowbelly, our mustachioed hero. I had to get in touch with Paul and ask him about his inspiration and how he feels his labels add to the experience of drinking a beer.

Who are you and what is your occupation?My name is Paul Reck and I am Creative Director at YellowBelly Beer. I spend all day drawing pictures of a man with a moustache, and it’s the best job I’ve ever had.

When did your interest in graphic design/art begin?Ever since I can remember I was always drawing, on scraps of paper, napkins, envelopes, anything I could find. I always enjoyed inventing characters and even from a young age I knew that I wanted to work as an artist or illustrator. I was the kid who literally bought books just for the cover art, I would obsess over the work I saw on book covers and in comic books, and video game art was also a huge influence in shaping my visual tastes.Your artwork for YellowBelly features the same character, how did he come about? Does he have a name?His name is YellowBelly, and he started life as an avatar to represent the brewery and the team that drive it. Before I started working full time for YellowBelly Beer I worked freelance and was commissioned to design the character featured on the logo for YellowBelly Beer, and at that time he embodied a sort of amalgam of features from each member of the team, since then he has grown into an entity in his own right, he is our figurehead, and our hero. He allows us to continue to reinvent ourselves and tell new stories with each beer we brew. To date we’ve brewed over 250 different beers, and each one has it’s own individual art and story. This has led to a spin-off comic series YellowBelly Tales that you can read for free at www.yellowbellybeer.ie/comics. You’ll see a lot of YellowBelly in the future, and as an interdimensional time traveller, he’s got lots more stories to tell.You clearly take a lot of inspiration from comics, when did this begin and how has it shaped your artistic style?Yeah, I’ve definitely been inspired by comics since a young age. Some of my biggest inspirations come from great comic artists like Jim Lee, Greg Capello, Scott Campbell, Joe Madureira, Todd McFarlane, Sean Murphy to name a few, and I could go on and on, but I’ve definitely aspired to capture the essence of the work of great comic artists like those guys. I usually find myself falling short of their greatness, but you have to keep trucking away you know! It’s hard to put a finger on when my love of comic art started, I guess it’s always been there, and oddly enough before working at YellowBelly I had no real interest in working on sequential style comic books, before that I was more of a Character and Poster Artist, creating work better suited to covers and one-shots than the nitty-gritty of the pages. But now, I’m really enjoying the medium, I’ve always been a visual thinker and it’s fun to solve the problems of how best to convey the story in just a few frames. In relation to style in general with regards to YellowBelly I tend to bounce around a bit from traditional comic book, lines and colours to a more painterly style. I enjoy working both ways, but the comic stuff is a little quicker to turn-around and so it tends to feature a bit more prominently on our badges and labels.Did you study a professional artistic qualification?Yeah, I have a Bachelors Degree in Design (Communications) I got at Waterford Institute of Technology.How do you approach a new project?Each project is a little different, but usually we start with a name, and that’s often the hardest part. We come up with a name and usually it rolls on from there. The creation of the concept is important because it has to be evocative of the name and theme, while also featuring YellowBelly and one of the biggest challenges is to keep YellowBelly interesting, so quite often he gets up to some serious mischief. As a time traveller we have lots of scope to play with, but when we added extra dimensional travel on top, that opened up infinite possibilities so we can have YellowBelly popping up anywhere. The most important thing when embarking on a new project is that is has to be exciting for me - if I don’t find the subject interesting then it’s unlikely that the consumer is going to be thrilled by it. From there I usually boot up Photoshop and start sketching.I keep the sketches pretty loose and when I get to a composition that I’m happy with I’ll dive straight into ‘inking’ and then add colours. Quite often its at the thumbnail phase when I decide whether I’ll ink the piece or paint it. If I decide to paint it then I work to an almost complete level in grayscale and then add colour, I find I can work faster that way rather than diving straight into colour. I work entirely in Photoshop, so I very seldom make paper sketches anymore, unless it’s for laying out comic book pages, then I feel like I need to be able to touch it.Have you had any memorable responses to your work?Probably the most memorable response was when we got some fan mail from a 6 year old. We had just released a limited edition soft drink and that put our artwork into a new market and this kid saw the stuff and became a huge fan of YellowBelly as a result. We still have the hand drawn card he sent us on the wall in the office.How do you feel art and beer are interconnected?Absolutely. Craft beer is one of the most experimental and creative industries out there, and with constant advances in labelling and printing technologies there has never been more freedom for exploration in artwork on cans and bottles, so yeah, I think to produce great beer and not try your hardest to stand out in what is a really competitive market is cutting off your nose to spite your face. It’s a jungle out there and there are powerhouse breweries producing great beer with equally good art, and they’re the ones you remember. If you want to stand out you need to shout and you need to have something to say, and art is the very best way to do that. You could have the best beer in the world, but if it’s got a boring label it’s very likely that nobody will pick it up. Going back to the book cover analogy, I buy beers for their cover art too.We’re seeing a much larger influx of Irish craft beer here in the UK, how do you feel attitudes towards smaller breweries are changing?I think that people are becoming a lot more discerning about how they spend their money, and they want to enjoy a well made flavoursome beer, no matter where it comes from. The UK has some amazing breweries producing really stellar beers, and as a result a consumer base that is becoming better and better educated. They know what they want and we want to give it to them.What is your favourite beer?That’s a pretty tough one. To look at, I’ve always loved the art on Beavertown cans, I find the style and universe that they have created really fun. I’m also quite a fan of the understated classiness on To Øl shrink wrapped cans in particular, and some of my favourite pieces of can art are the bold black & white portraits on Panhead cans.To drink, thats even tougher. My tastes tend to change depending on my mood. I’ll just go for some of my favourites down through the years; Cloudwater V5, Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break Stout, YellowBelly Electric Dreams :)

Clearly a man of great taste, you can find links to more of Paul's artwork below as well as a selection of his labels for Yellowbelly.

This time last year my partner and I went on a week long Scandinavian jaunt, spending time in a beautiful apartment on Gothenburg's Avenyn area. Unfortunately, we'd picked the one day of the month that everything was closed, so spent the afternoon perusing the Universeum, an amazing collection of animals, nature, biology and chemistry in a series of interactive exhibits. That evening, we went for dinner and tasted the most amazing slow cooked lamb, paired with a local beer. That beer turned out to be Stigbergets Amazing Haze, an intensely hoppy but soft number. I was smitten. Gothenburg is awash with amazing breweries with names like Dugges, Stigbergets, O/O, Beer Bibliotek and Poppels calling this city home.

Jump forward 12 months, and after some technical difficulties we finally managed to have a chat with Neale and here's how it went.

Who are you and what is your position?I'm Neale. Born in Wakefield and moved to Gothenburg five years ago. My day job is as an art director at an ad agency, but I freelance a bit after hours and that's when I do beer labels. Most of the labels I've done are for Stigbergets Bryggeri. I don't do all of their labels, but I guess I've done about half of them. I've also done a handful of labels for Jönköpings Bryggeri.

When did your interest in graphic design/art begin?Like a lot of other graphic designers it was album covers that got me into it. I spent almost the entirety of my Art A-levels basically just redrawing old pink floyd album covers. Literally just copying them like an idiot. No creative input whatsoever. Needless to say I pretty much failed my Art A-level and swiftly dropped it.

Did you study an artistic qualification?I did Graphic Design at Huddersfield Uni. Good course with good tutors. Shame I was a bit lazy and a bit too young and didn't fully take advantage of it. But I got a degree anyway.

Do you believe Gothenburg and/or Sweden are good places to work as a creative?Yeah I guess it is. I lived in Leeds before moving here and to be honest Gothenburg is pretty similar in terms of what's on offer. And if we're talking about working as a creative within craft beer I'd say it's probably pretty good too. There's loads of local breweries popping up all the time.

Is there any piece you’re particularly proud of?Definitely West Coast IPA. The one with the seagull on it. Seeing that little bird popping its silly little head up all over the place is ace. And if it hadn't been for the seagull, there would never have been a toucan.

What is your approach to a new project?Ah, it's always different. Sometimes the brewery will have an idea already. For example, I can get a brief that's something like "I want a seahorse" or "do a toucan." But sometimes I'll just get the name and type of beer and go from there. I usually sketch a few ideas quickly to begin with. It's become kind of a thing now that at least one of the sketches includes an animal. Animal labels have been a winner so far.

Once the idea is decided, and if I have time, I'll paint the label with acrylics on a big piece of paper. Scaling down from a large format tends to help hide most of my mistakes, which is nice. Recently I've been a bit pushed for time so the paint pots haven't been out so much. Instead it's been brush pens and loads of scanning.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to work in graphic design?Hmm. I have no idea. I started studying graphic design in 2005 and think I only just kind of figured out what I wanted to do about 10 years after that. Everyone's different though. There's people who "get it" before they've finished studying, or they don't even study and suddenly they're celebrity designers when they're like 18. But those kind of people don't need advice from me. If you're a dummy like me though, well, my advice is... hang in there and see what happens... maybe you'll land on your feet in ten years!

What memorable responses have you had to your work?There was a guy who asked to get a selfie with me the other day, haha. He did say it was for his brother, and in fairness it WAS international selfie day, but still! That was pretty huge!

Otherwise I do tend to keep an eye on instagram, and it's always fun to see what people do with the labels. Some people have staged some pretty creative still lifes. There's also an instagrammer (@59degreesnorth) who does really nice watercolour paintings of beer labels. She has done a few of mine, which has been nice to see. She did make the west coast seagull look a bit meaner than mine though, but in fairness that is how they look in real life. Frightening creatures.

What do you think makes Stigbergets stand out from other breweries?The beer is really good, which is helpful. I guess I have developed a bit of a style for the labels too. I do almost everything by hand, and seeing as I'm not technically any good at painting (don't tell anyone!) I have to keep things dead simple. Somehow that seems to result in a fair bit of humour too. Not that I try to make them funny – I think it's just naturally how they turn out. Like if you look at a shelf of craft beer and there's all these cool, well-designed labels, and beside them there's a dodgily painted seagull in profile against a murky sky, well, somehow that stands out. It makes me laugh anyway.

I should point out again that I don't do all the labels for them. So there is also a good bit of variety within Stigbergets, which also helps. It makes sense to me that a microbrewery should have just as much variety in the labels as they do in the beers.

How do you feel Art and Beer are interconnected?I think that beer bottles and cans are a great surface to work with. It's weird to think that they weren't really used for "art" at all until craft breweries came along. But I'm definitely thankful that they did. Even if it's just a small batch of beer that will be gone in a couple of months, I think its deserving of a unique image to represent it.

What is your favourite beer?To drink? All of Stigbergets IPAs, that collaboration beer between a bunch of swedish breweries that tasted of swedish semla buns (Hetvägg), Stone Fruitallica, Spike Hazelnut Chocolate Porter, 3 fonteinen Oude Geuze and lots of other sour beers I've been drinking lately.

To look at? Everything Mikkeller, Omnipollo and Partizan do. And I also love Orval. That unique bottle shape combined with that little diamond-shaped label is just lovely!

A massive thanks to Neale for answering our questions! We've linked his Instagram below, as well as some of his designs.

I work in hospitality (actually I work in a BrewDog bar) and run this during my free time. Recently we had an Irish showcase with beers from Boundary, Yellowbelly and Wicklow Wolf. I was almost completely ignorant to these awesome breweries who were producing beautiful IPA's, Sours, and Stouts. Boundary really stood out for me with hand painted abstract artwork on each bottle. They were seriously good to look at, the beers complimenting the artwork really well. I looked up Boundary, and am a huge fan of what I saw.

Boundary is a cooperative brewery run by it's members, coming together to create modern US styles as well as Belgian/French beers. I wanted to chat to the artist John Robinson about how he hand paints each label, and he was kind enough to respond.

Who are you and what is your occupation?

I’m John, I’m 30yo and living in Belfast with my wife Anna. I’m a visual artist focusing on painting. I’m the artist for Boundary Brewery, which means I make a painting for every new beer, which then becomes the label on the bottle.

When did your interest in graphic design/art begin?

I first started doing art at age 11- little landscapes in oil pastel, while on holiday by the sea. We have a family friend who is an artist, he used to take me out painting into forests or up on mountains. Even at that early stage I remember being more interested in using texture and colour to create something, than capturing the scene in detail. I think this intuitive approach carries through to the paintings I make for boundary.

Did you study an artistic qualification?

I did a degree in Fine Art, then came back 2 years later and did an MFA. Studying art has opened my mind to the many different aspects of making images- I’m a better artist than I was before, for sure. The challenge though was to not start overthinking my work- one thing I love about making the Boundary paintings is that they are so immediate and instinctive.

How do you feel the craft beer community is developing in Northern Ireland?

When I look at the art on the bottles of Northern Irish beer i see some cool things happening; there are some creative beers out there. I also see quite a lot of beers that seem to be playing it safe and blending in. I would love to see more experimental craft beer in more of our bars. The craft beer community here is great- unpretentious and good craic.

Is there any piece you’re particularly proud of?

I’m proud of them all because each one has a story. Push and Pull is a series beer, a fresh, punchy IPA that profiles different hops each time it’s brewed. The story behind the painting comes from an artist called Hans Hoffman- he developed a theory called Push and Pull- the idea that you can use overlapping blocks of colour in a painting to create a sense of receding and advancing space.

What is your approach to a new project?

I get together with the brewer Matthew and we taste the beer and talk about it’s character. As a painter I often think ‘What kind of landscape does this beer belong in? What time of day and weather does it remind me of?’. Sometimes I will use landscape photographs as a starting point. Other times I want to experiment with a different style of painting, so I’ll open an Art book and choose something that reminds me of the beer and I’ll do my own version of a modernist painting.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to work in graphic design or as a professional artist?

If you’re going to study art at university, use that time to develop as many contacts as you can and try to have several creative ways to earn money as an artist when you leave. If you’re doing it as a hobby and want to go pro, get connected to a scene and find out what’s already happening in your area.

What memorable responses have you had to your work?

I’ve had some people say the art really drew them into the beer and added a layer to their experience of drinking it. I’ve had people contact me and commission a painting because they like the art on the bottle so much. Best of all I’ve had some great conversations about art while drinking beer.

How do you feel Art and Beer are interconnected?

When I make a painting it normally comes from nature- the experience of a certain landscape inspires the painting. When I make a boundary piece, the process is the same but the beer replaces the landscape. Craft beer is made to be enjoyed and discussed- the brewer has an idea in mind when making the beer, people will bring their own taste to it. Not all art is super serious- it also is made to be enjoyed, discussed and interpreted.

Admittedly, I knew very little about Lervig other than Lucky Jack - their American style pale ale that I could pick up in the local Marks and Spencer for £2.50 a can. It was a fantastic brew, old school bitterness coupled with lots of citrus and pine. The familiar image the fisherman on the front donned all of the different versions: grapefruit, black edition and extra hard (with some small changes - I very much enjoyed the grapefruit fisherman with his sunglasses on)

Recently however, the can designs seem to have changed. Much cooler more artistic cans adorning the Lervig logo appeared, taller and more unique. Most recently "Socks and Sandals", a collaboration with Warpigs Brewery in Copenhagen. It felt like something had changed and as it turns out, it had. I got in touch with the immensely talented designer Nanna Guldbæk to ask her about how she's changing the face of one of Norway's best breweries having only started in January of this year - one painted toenail at a time.

Who are you and what is your occupation?I am Nanna Guldbæk - the (relatively) new designer at the craft beer brewery Lervig.

When did your interest in graphic design/art begin?It’s always been there. I've always used my pencil to deal with emotions, capture experiences or tell stories. I read a lot of books and comics as a kid, and always used drawing and sketching to understand new stuff in school. I still have a book cover from a danish grammar book from 4th grade, which I kept because I thought the artwork on it was cool. I studied at a technical high school where we often combined technology with design, and I think it was here I really got interested in working interdisciplinary. My interests lie especially in the crossroad between design, art and science - the synergy that occur.​Did you study an artistic qualification?Well, I am currently finishing last year of my BA in Industrial Design at Design School Kolding, where I use sketching and drawing daily. Often to explain an idea or a concept. In hand or digital. As an industrial designer, a lot of my work goes on digital, so the hand drawn sketch or watercolour painting can really add something different to the project.

Is there any piece you’re particularly proud of?It's early days. But I think the redesign of Perler For Svin is really cool. The illustration works with different medias, some elements are hand drawn others are computer generated. I’ve been working together with our manufacturers to create cut-outs, making the aluminium can visible and more integrated in the illustration - and at the same time making it work in production (canning line). And lastly there's the tactile experience of the label, that you feel the different materials when you hold the beer in your hand. It's not just a label on a can, but the illustration relates directly to the can, the material, the beer inside and the user that holds it. It's a great example of what I wish to do more of in the future with Lervig.

What is your approach to a new project when designing a new Lervig label?So far, it’s been redesign of old labels and a few new beers, and the process always begin with sketching. Sometimes it can take 50 sheets of paper other times just one. I try to get as many ideas down and then I organise them, work on different ones – maybe sketch further on them digitally, print them and put them on the can/bottle – then back to sketching. I do a lot of mock-ups, going back and forth between working by hand and on the computer. That’s important for my process.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to work in graphic design or as a professional artist?One of the best advice I’ve had has been - go see exhibitions, visit galleries, use libraries, work in public spaces, use your surroundings, be open minded - and have fun.

I've just returned to Denmark after 6 months studying at Kingston school of Arts in UK and the last couple of months I've been working from different places in Denmark and directly from Lervig in Norway - not having a permanent home. This means many hours in libraries, trains, public cafes, beer bars and friends' apartments (... basically wherever you can find wifi ... note: thanks to everyone hosting me ...). It's been pretty hectic but on the same time I've gained so many experiences.

What memorable responses have you had to your work?In general, I love when I talk to people about my artwork and they come up with names for my characters. They say like “… oh, I really like when your “yeast men” do …”, “… I think the “hop shark” looks …” or “ … so the “mountains” go …”. Caus’ then I see how people kind of create and build their own stories around my characters.

How do you feel Art and Beer are interconnected?The art can really grasp the complexity of drinking a beer, the feelings or thoughts revolving it. But also, it seems like the process have some similarities. Sitting across Murphy during my time in Norway you could constantly see him coming up with small ideas and thoughts on beer in-between other work. Constantly working on the next brew. That reminded me of my own process working with art.

What is your favorite beer?Like everyone else it’s hard to pinpoint one .... right now, one of my all-time faves are Sippin’ into Darkness. That one I’m craving all the time. All day. Everyday. So smooth.

Another huge thank you to the insanely talented Nanna for answering our questions and providing some more of her labels. Check our even more of her designs below!

Being from Bolton myself, I already had an affinity for Drew. His beautifully hand drawn pieces have adorned so many things, from band posters to beer labels to t shirt designs - my absolute favourite being the Leeds Beer Festival poster. A stunningly detailed and colourful number featuring an Owl (from the Leeds coat of arms) and Lions which straddle the city hall. I was flabbergasted at the sheer detail of each one of his projects, a where's wally-esque scene depicting many different elements. They're well worth studying, as you can pick out so many different things with time.

I caught up with Drew to ask him a few questions about what made his artistic side tick.

Who are you and what is your occupation?My Name is Drew Millward. I'm a former child, artist, husband, father and procrastinator. I live in a quarry, up a hill, in The Aire Valley. I draw pictures for a living.

When did your interest in graphic design/art begin?Probably around the time I started breathing, or certainly when my eyes started working. As a child I loved books and drawing, but it was a long time until I actually realised that it was something a grown up was allowed to do. They don't tell you that drawing stupid pictures is a feasible way of making a living, but it turns out it is. More people should do it.

Did you study an artistic qualification?I did. I always enjoyed art, in varying forms, so throughout GCSE and A-Level I pursued that. It was the only thing I showed any promise at/made any effort to do. I ended up doing a Fine Art degree, but it wasn't until a few years after graduating that I started drawing.

How do you feel Northern Monk’s Patrons Project is different from other beer projects?It's been a collaborative process, not just a straight design commission. We say and spoke about the beers we wanted to make and try to approach it in a way that the beer and packaging compliment each other. I love hoppy, fruity beers, so we went down that route. Northern Monk really do make some of my favourite beers, and they are a great group of folks, so it's been an absolute pleasure. There is more to come, but I won't talk about that just yet.

Is there any piece you’re particularly proud of?Last year I was the Dogfish Head Brewery seasonal artist for the year. That was a lot of fun to do, and great to see how each was revived throughout the year. I was happy with the outcome of those.

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What is your approach to a new project?Every project is different, so they all require different approaches. I'm incredibly lucky to be asked to paint huge murals, and design logos and everything in between. Different work requires getting into different headspaces, and assessing the challenges that present themselves. It's fun, on the whole, and it's usually only my own anxieties that cause problems.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to work in graphic design?Train to be an electrician, or a plumber. Something useful.

What memorable responses have you had to your work?Everything from being called a "talentless hack" to people getting my work tattooed on them. It's human nature to focus on the negative, but, on the whole, people are pretty nice.

How do you feel Art and Beer are interconnected?I don't really know any artists who aren't, in some capacity, reliant on beer. I think beer can probably exist without the art, but probably not the other way around.

There's not many people I think of when I think of beautiful beers, however, most of the ones I do are Scandinavian. There's a real appreciation of design, arts and creativity up there with beautiful public sculptures and museums celebrating history and culture. I've spent time in both Sweden and Norway, and loved the feel of them. Gothenburg was a personal favourite, showcasing architecture and nature perfectly intertwined creating a general feeling of peace.

Maybe a week or so ago, I tasked myself to think of the most beautiful beers I could based on the artwork on the can or bottle. To Øl were first on the list. I'd researched Kasper before and seen his website, a combination of so many mediums with each being as interesting as it was diverse. A personal favourite was various fast foods thrown onto a photocopier and scanned. I had to get in contact with him to ask him some questions, and he was kind enough to respond!​

Who are you and what is your position?My name is Kasper Ledet. I am the graphic designer and art director at Danish gypsy brewery To Øl and the brewpub BRUS. I shoot a lot of photos that I use in my work accompanied by typography and abstract illustration.

When did your interest in graphic design/art begin?I have always been drawing and building provisional structures in my parents backyard. I did a lot of music in my early teens which me and my friends published on some tapes and CDs on our own. I found out that I was much better at designing the covers then actually making the music. The artwork seemed to be my favourite part of the process so I guess that was when I really got into graphic design.

Did you study an artistic qualification?No not really. I’m pretty much self-taught when it comes to graphic design. I studied urban planning and landscape for one and half year at the School of Architecture before dropping out. I guess that I learned that I should not become an architect and that working in an architectural office was not an option either. I really hate making 3D drawings on the computer, building models and doing hundreds of sketches. It was all too laborious and slow. Architecture is however a big inspiration for my work in graphic design. I use a lot of photography in my work that deals with central themes in architecture like scale, context, landscape and urbanity. I do also consider graphic design and architecture to be a part of the same whole that could maybe just be described as design or the act of shaping your environment. Conservatively graphic design is regarded as being purely a two dimensional exercise while architecture is tactile and three dimensional. I do think that the relationship between the two is much more complex. In graphic design you often deal with various spatial challenges and architecture is also about creating icons or images through the build environment. Conservatively graphic design is regarded as operating on a much smaller scale than architecture but a piece of printed material produced in several hundred thousand copies distributed all over the world could be considered as being much greater in scale than a building limited to a single location.

How do you feel Art and Beer are interconnected?I think it is important to distinguish between mainstream breweries and craft breweries. Mainstream breweries like Carlsberg, Heineken or Budweiser has a rather limited range of beers which they then produce again and again. These breweries relies on huge sales which in turn calls for some quite conservative artwork with an emphasis on recognition and coherence. Craft breweries usually have much larger portfolios of beers. It also seems that the customers of craft beer are much more willing to accept experimentation. They actually expect it. This means that the world of craft beer is rich in various styles and approaches to creating artworks. Drinking a beer is an abstract experience, a lot like music. It is actually hard to describe with words. The label should help stimulate this experience.

Is there any piece you’re particularly proud of?There are several. To Øl has produced over 250 different beers. A part of the design concept of To Øl is that there is no design concept so the artwork for all of these beers are different. Furthermore there has been produced all kinds of merchandise and marketing materials like posters, t-shirts, growlers, websites and glasses. All those items also features different artworks. Needless to say not all of these artworks are equally good and successful. The open approach of not having any style guide or design system means that you sometimes creates something brilliant, something terrible or something mediocre. This results in a somewhat incoherent output but in turn makes room for a great deal of experimentation and playfulness that i value very highly. Here I will just focus on one design that I find particularly successful. ​

Stress Test 33cl Baltic Porter. The design consists of various graphic elements known from car crash studies. They are a reference to the name of the beer. These elements is placed with a lot of white empty space in between. Actually most of the label is empty. The beer is a about how far you can push a larger strain of yeast. For the artwork I wanted to see how far I could push emptiness. I think it is safe to say that such a label would never had been possible at a mainstream brewery. Most packaging design seems very concerned with filling every inch of the surface with images and information. There is something liberating about doing very little visually, making small almost insignificant gestures. It is not about big bold statements and flashy images. The design is instead focusing on the minute detail, the negative space and a composition that almost isn't there.

What is your approach to a new project?I don’t really have any standardised approach. I guess it varies a lot. Sometimes it is really clear is which direction the project should be going other times it requires a lot of conceptualization. This is indeed also true for To Øl. When it comes to designing a label for a new beer we usually start out by talking and debating what is special about this certain beer and what should be highlighted. Sometimes I do some sketches by hand, sometimes I start out by writing something or maybe turn to art history for inspiration. The process also differs a lot. Some designs requires eight or nine drafts before they are done while others are just perfect in the first take. I have learned that it is really hard to judge your own work when you have just created it. You need some time and distance to truly understand it. This is rarely possible before the design is handed in because of tight deadlines. I find it really meaningful to revisit old designs and maybe write or talk about them.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to work in graphic design?Study some art history and be a good generalist. Don’t just read design and art magazines or blogs. Take interest in things outside of the arts. That definitely helps to improve your work.

We'd like to give a HUGE thank you to Kasper for answering our questions! Check out some more of his designs below.

Grab yourself some of Kasper's beautifully designed beers at: https://to-ol.dk/shop/